connector tool changed

[gzema]

Hi -

First time on the visguy forum.  Thought I'd give someone a shot at this problem so I'm not pulling out what's left of my hair.  This is a little long, so grab a beverage...adult or otherwise.

Running Visio 2003 SP3, not a novice, been using various versions way back to Ver 5. 

I think it was the upgrade to 2003 that brought me the lovely effect of dragging a shape into a drawing only to have its fill color change from white to whatever color it's trying to be.  My workaround is to change it back to white and then copy and paste a bunch of times inside the drawing.  I read something on the MS site a while back that this is not a problem but a "feature" and there's no way to change it to have a default fill of white.  I've changed it to white and then copied it back into the stencil folder under a different name only to have it change color again when I drag it in.  Again, not enough hair left to warrant making myself crazy over it.

But here's the latest maybe someone can help me with.  I started a new drawing.  My routine is to bring in a custom template that has title bars and a border already set.  I dragged in a few shapes (changing their fill colors of course) and then set about connecting wires to them with the connetion tool.  Surprise!  The connection tool is not drawing them black like I want, but some jive blue color.  Oh it'll let me change it to black, just not draw it in black.  Another added benefit is when I label the wire, the text is stuck in the middle and won't let me move it (no little yellow marker to drag around).

But wait!  There's more!  If I open up an old drawing or create another new one, the connection tool works like always, black lines, movable text positioning.

I have no idea what I clicked on or did to do this.  I don't know how this could relate, but right around the same time I started this particular drawing, Outlook's window colors changed from its normal blue to some kind of earthtone.  I have no idea how that happened but then when I went back to Outlook sometime later, it was back to blue.  Unfortunately, Visio is still hosed...at least for this drawing.

Sure, I could start over (ugh) and will if that's the answer. I'd just like to know where to look or what to do should it happen again.

Anyone?

Thanks and sorry for the long diatribe.

George

[Yacine]

Hi George,
you must be speaking about themes, which *is* a feature. But as I know, it did not come before V2007. Are you confusing?
If so, you need to set your default theme to "none".
If that still does not help, you can protect your shapes - prior to saving them in a stencil - against theme formating. (right click  on shape, format, protection,..)
Regarding the connector, you can edit it very easily with the green points. Check this article.

[gzema]

Hi -

Thanks for writing back.

I'm running ver 2003 so no theme selection.

My big issue is how or why the connection tool decided to start drawing the lines in blue instead of black and why I can't reposition the text on that line.  As I said, old drawings or new drawings I start after this one particular drawing, the lines are black and I can move the line's text.  I don't know what I did to mess up this drawing.

George

[Yacine]

hmm

[Jumpy]

Did you check, if there is an old (long lost) master in the document stencil of the infuriating drawing, which has the same name as the new master and is thous copied instead of creating a new version from the new master?

[wapperdude]

There could be a couple of things going on.  Quickest solution might be to post a portion of the drawing (vsd file) that contains the offending connector.  That way someone can take a peek at it and see if there's something obvious.

Wapperdude

[gzema]

Did you check, if there is an old (long lost) master in the document stencil of the infuriating drawing

I think answer here would be no.  My procedure when doing a new drawing is to bring up my template that has the title and border stuff already done and then immediatley do a save as... with the drawing's name.  As I mentioned, when I first noticed this issue, I did the same procedure as if I were making a new drawing and the wire connectors worked as they should, i.e., black, and movable text positioning.

As requested, I'm sending along a portion of the drawing.  You'll find that you won't be able to move the text.  I've also put in a sample line at the bottom so you can see what I get when I draw a connecting wire. 

I also tried opening the master template and copying this drawing in its entirety into it but whatever's wrong just comes along for the ride.  I kind of expected that but had to try it.

I have no doubt I clicked something and didn't realize it.  Although I will mention again that at about the same time I noticed this, my Outlook's window borders changed from the normal blue to something else and then changed back later in the day.  A coincidence?  Who knows?

Thanks all.

George

[Paul Herber]

There are a couple of issues:
First, there is a style defined for the connectors. Menu Format -> Define Styles
select Connector and change the line colour.
The Visio00 and Visio90 might need looking at as well.

As far as the movable text goes, you appear to have lost a control point on the master in the Document Stencil.
One way around this is to create a brand new blank document, drop a connector onto the diagram, open its shapesheet and copy the Controls section, you will also need to update the text position cells in the text transform section.

[gzema]

Well, we're half way there.  The Menu Format | Define Styles suggestion for the connector color took care of that irritation. 

Unfortunately, I'm suffering from a severe case of the stupids because I'm having trouble with your other suggestions for the movable text problem.  In the shapesheet, should I be able to copy/paste the whole Control section or just a cell at a time?  Secondly, even at a cell at a time, on a couple of them it gave me an error message that I wasn't doing it right. 

Thanks,

George